In last week’s headlining fight on Saturday in Monte Carlo, #1 Gennady Golovkin did about what you’d expect, coming forward and breaking down his outgunned opponent, Osumanu Adama. Adama did manage to get the 1-2 working here and there, but couldn’t consistently keep the seek-and-destroy Kazakh off of him. The only surprise may have been that it took until the 7th round- three knockdowns deep- for the fight to be called off.

On the undercard, #12 Max Bursak took on one-loss Aussie prospect Jarrod Fletcher, and found himself in the no-doubt unfamiliar position of a late replacement, as Fletcher had initially been scheduled to fight Martin Murray. The short notice- less than a month- may have been a factor, as he didn’t look that great. The fight was difficult to watch due to constant holding and various other fouls. Bursak was the main culprit, throwing the kitchen sink of illegal tactics at his opponent. He held, he pushed down on the neck, he rabbit punched, and he hit after the bell. Fletcher was no saint either, but it was Bursak that- still correctly, I think- lost a point for rabbit punches and a point for pushing down on Fletcher’s back. The fight, in addition to being ugly, was extremely close and competitive. Bursak, as I saw it, earned himself a fairly clear nod in rounds 1, 4, 6, 11 (even due to point deduction), and 12, while Fletcher clearly captured 5 and 7. Rounds 2, 3, 9, and 10 were too close to call with confidence, I thought, with round 2 either even or a 10-8 Fletcher due to the first point deduction. I had it 114-112 for Bursak, meaning I backed him as the winner of 8 rounds to Fletcher’s 4 before deductions are factored in. Fletcher might legitimately have won as many as 6, and thus could have won by as much as a 114-112 margin, while I thought Bursak could have won as many as 10 rounds, or 116-110. Surprisingly, Fletcher didn’t just win, but did so unanimously. Phillippe Verbeke had it 114-112, a reasonable, if slightly pro-Fletcher card. Luis Pabon proved that you don’t have to pigeonhole yourself as a bad referee if you can also be a bad judge, turning in a clearly unfair 115-111 card for Fletcher, a score in which he was joined by Poland’s Leszek Jankowiak. That’s no surprise, as Jankowiak is a notorious fight thief. In fights I’ve seen that he’s judged, he’s now turned in at least 4 completely unreasonable cards (Kolodziej-Crenz, this one, Rodriguez-Maderna and, to his everlasting infamy, Chisora-Helenius). He also turned in a pretty borderline card recently, giving Roy Jones way too much credit in a wide decision over Zine Benmakhlouf. I don’t see every mid-level European fight, and so I don’t see Jankowiak nearly as often as I would if he were a comparably busy American judge. The volume of terrible cards he’s perpetrated relative to the number of fights I’ve actually seen him judge leads me to suspect that he may just be one of the worst judges in the whole wide world.

In the also-ran category, #11 Anthony Mundine won a unanimous shutout over 10 rounds against lower-mid-level Kiwi journeyman Gunnar Jackson, in what can only be described as a stay busy fight.

But that’s not to say that the fight wasn’t significant at all. Far from it. Mundine made 160, which allows him to stay ranked here. He would have been removed this week if he’d come in as heavy as his opponent, who was above 163.

Speaking of indifferent results helping you out: Adama technically sees more benefit from his beatdown loss than Golovkin does from the win. There’s nowhere for the #1 contender to go unless he fights the Champion, so he stays put. Adama, who was removed from the #13 spot in September for inactivity at 160, returns at an even higher position of #10. This has nothing to do with his performance on Saturday. For someone of borderline top-10 rank, a loss to a #1 contender proves nothing. His prior resume has about the same impact it otherwise might. You might expect that to put him in the #15 range or something like that, considering the inactivity. But not so. He returns at #10. I had to do my research on this, but that’s the first time he’s been in the top 10 since April 2011. How does one move up 3 spots without doing anything? Well, Barker and Pirog have departed since then, and I simply re-thought his placement as against Rubio and Mundine who, incidentally, are forced down to #11 and #12, respectively.

Bursak at least arguably won the fight, and his opponent was reasonably credible in his own right. For those reasons, I won’t drop Bursak any more than I have to, and so he is displaced two spots to #14- one for Adama’s return, and one to accommodate the required debut of Fletcher, who debuts at #13. Even if I were of a mind to drop Bursak further, that would be problematic due to his 2010 win over Vera, who also falls two places to #15, along with everyone ranked below him. Dmitry Chudinov is forced from the rankings after 23 weeks, and Ishida after just 2.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (199-199-199)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)Next Fight: 6/7/2014- vs. # 8 JMW Miguel CottoIf there was any lingering doubt, Martinez-Cotto is now on for June 7 at Madison Square Garden.1) Gennady Golovkin (8-75-138)Last Fight: 2/1/2014- TKO7 Osumanu Adama (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownGolovkin wants a shot at the Championship against Martinez, and there are rumors that Andy Lee is being considered for an April fight, as well.2) Felix Sturm (8-542-542)Last Fight: 12/7/2013- TKO2 #3 Darren BarkerNext Fight: UnknownSoliman is the #1 contender for Sturm’s alphabet title, and Murray, Macklin, and Geale are both trying to get rematches with him, as well.3) Martin Murray (8-114-114)Last Fight: 12/14/2013- W* (PTS8) vs. Sergey Khomitsky (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownInitial reports had Murray’s withdrawal from his scheduled fight with Jarrod Fletcher as a result of an offer to fight Felix Sturm, but Murray says he doesn’t know if those negotiations are even underway or not, and says nagging injuries to both hands are to blame.4) Daniel Geale (3-242-242)Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (SD12) vs. #15 Darren BarkerNext Fight: 2/19/2014- vs. Garth Wood (UNR)Geale will face gatekeeper Garth Wood- his former sparring partner- on February 19 in Sydney.5) Matthew Macklin (3-137-228)Last Fight: 12/7/2013- UD10 Lamar Russ (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownAfter a legitimate but very unspectacular win over only moderately proven prospect Lamar Russ, Macklin has joined the chorus of quality middleweights looking for a rematch with Sturm. He’s also pushing for a fight with Andy Lee and has expressed interest in Quillin.6) Peter Quillin (3-68-89)Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO10 Gabriel Rosado (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSee Macklin’s notes, above. Stevens is also looking for a fight with him.7) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (3-8-8)Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD10 Anthony Fitzgerald (UNR)Next Fight: 2/15/2014- vs. Unknown OpponentAfter Andy Lee turned down a proposed fight for March 1, N’Dam will be back on February 15 in Ireland against an opponent yet to be named.8) Sam Soliman (3-8-8)Last Fight: 12/11/2013- TKO9 Les Sherrington (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSoliman has been re-installed as the #1 contender to Sturm’s alphabet strap, and will likely get another shot soon.9) Sergio Mora (3-32-32)Last Fight: 11/16/2013- KO5 Milton Nunez (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownMora had hoped to fight Golovkin on February 1, but says he was never offered the fight.10) Osumanu Adama (1-1-1)Last Fight: 2/1/2014- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Gennady GolovkinNext Fight: UnknownNot the most pleasant entry into the rankings we’ve ever seen, but his resume stacks up pretty well as long as he’s active and on weight.11) Marco Antonio Rubio (1-158)Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)Next Fight: 4/5/2014- vs. Domenico Spada (UNR)Rubio-Spada is now set for April 5 in Mexico. It’s for an interim title, if such trifles mean anything to you.12) Anthony Mundine (1-158)Last Fight: 1/29/2014- UD10 Gunnar Jackson (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownMundine continues to make noise about wanting to fight Mayweather as if he thinks it’s remotely possible it might happen. He sounds like a lunatic when he does that.13) Jarrod Fletcher (1-1)Last Fight: 2/1/2014- W* (UD12) vs. #12 Max BursakNext Fight: UnknownI don’t agree with the verdict, but Fletcher legitimately fought on more-or-less even terms with a pretty good fringe contender in Bursak. His only loss was a TKO that was stopped for very little reason against Billy Joe Saunders, so he’s one to watch.14) Max Bursak (1-158)Last Fight: 2/1/2014- L* (UD12) vs. Jarrod Fletcher (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownHe didn’t get robbed, and it’s hard to feel sorry for him considering how dirty he fought, but I did think Bursak deserved better than a loss against Fletcher.15) Bryan Vera (1-68)Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L* (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at LHW)Next Fight: 3/1/2014- vs. Julio Cesar Chavez (UNR) (at SMW)Vera-Chavez is on for March 1 on HBO.16) Grzegorz Proksa (1-147)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa would like to fight in April or May. Setting reports of hand problems to rest, he says there’s currently nothing wrong with him.17) Caleb Truax (1-20)Last Fight: 1/3/2014- Draw (UD10) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR) (at SMW)Next Fight: UnknownTruax’s status as a promising prospect has been derailed somewhat by the very tough Ossie Duran.18) Curtis Stevens (1-27)Last Fight: 1/24/2014- TKO1 Patrick Majewski (UNR) (at SMW)Next Fight: UnknownStevens has his sites set on Peter Quillin.19) Andrey Meryasev (1-13)Last Fight: 11/4/2013- UD10 Sergio Sanders (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownI’ve still yet to see Meryasev in action, but his win over Sanders at this point in his career proves that he’s a real prospect.20) Danny Jacobs (1-24)Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)Next Fight: Unknown

The Week Ahead: FridayRoberto Garcia vs. Norberto Gonzalez; Chicago, IL; ESPN2 (US)Garcia, a Texas-based Mexican, is a legitimate fringe contender at 154, and the fight is expected to be contested somewhere between 154 and 160. Gonzalez is a 2-loss Mexican journeyman. I’d classify him as mid-level, but he probably has the potential to be better than that, since his only two losses were to decent opponents in Mark Melligen and Antwone Smith. This will be the Friday Night Fights main event.

In a fight that was expected to be quick and easy, Curtis Stevens made it look even easier and quicker than expected. In the very first round, Stevens knocked Polish journeyman Patrick Majewski down hard with a jab, and then went into full windmill mode to knock him down twice more and finish him off. Majewski never showed any resistance whatsoever at any point in the spectacle.

On the Huck-Arslan undercard in Stuttgart, we had a near miss on what was almost another in a long line of German robberies. Technically undefeated prospect Marcos Nader brought his tenuous resume- which consisted of a draw against Roberto Santos that should have been a loss (I scored it 115-113), followed by a win in the rematch that again should have been a loss (I again had it 115-113)- into a European Union title defense against untested but also undefeated 34 year old Italian Emmanuele Blandamura. Blandamura rose to the occasion, while Nader shrunk from it. The Italian wasn’t particularly precise, but worked almost constantly, and peppered the Spanish-born Austrian with little scoring shots almost non-stop. Nader laid back, looking to land single punches, which he did about once every two rounds. He fought as if he were Randall Bailey and therefore capable of winning the fight at any moment he chose with a huge shot. That’s most likely some combination of awful strategy and extreme laziness. Nader only has 3 stoppage victories, at least one of which was due to injury. He’s not the kind of guy that can turn around a fight with one punch, and that was the only chance he was allowing himself for a win, based on his effort. But it turns out he had another chance, as two of the three judges were going out of their ways to hand it to him. Luckily, Blandamura won it by a clear enough margin that one of the two- Denmark’s Soren Saugmann- apparently decided it was not close enough to sign his name to a robbery. Richard Davies of England, a veteran crook, had no such compunction. He gave Nader at least 3 rounds that were clearly won by Blandamura, in addition to two close ones I scored for the Italian, to give Nader the nod at 115-113. Only Spanish judge Francisco Vazquez had it reasonably scored at 117-111. My score was 118-110, and I could see giving Nader as many as 2 additional rounds. It’s a measure of redemption for Vazquez, who was the worst perpetrator of one of 2013’s worst robberies when he scored Ndiaye-Rebrasse in favor of Ndiaye, who was comprehensively dominated in the fight.

Blandamura falls just a couple spots short of the rankings with the win, and is now a bona fide fringe contender in addition to an undefeated prospect. No changes this week.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (198-198-198)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)Next Fight: 6/7/2014- vs. # 8 JMW Miguel CottoAccording to fighthype.com, citing anonymous sources close to Cotto, there is now no doubt that Cotto-Martinez will happen on June 7 in New York. 1) Gennady Golovkin (7-74-137)Last Fight: 11/2/2013- RTD8 #15 Curtis StevensNext Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. Osumanu Adama (UNR)Golovkin returns February 1 in Monte Carlo. Originally it looked like Murray was the opponent, but he will instead fight former borderline top 10 contender Osumanu Adama, who was removed from a #13 berth in September for failing to make 160 for 18 months.2) Felix Sturm (7-541-541)Last Fight: 12/7/2013- TKO2 #3 Darren BarkerNext Fight: UnknownSoliman is the #1 contender for Sturm’s alphabet title, and Murray, Macklin, and Geale are both trying to get rematches with him, as well.3) Martin Murray (7-113-113)Last Fight: 12/14/2013- W* (PTS8) vs. Sergey Khomitsky (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownInitial reports had Murray’s withdrawal from his scheduled fight with Jarrod Fletcher as a result of an offer to fight Felix Sturm, but Murray says he doesn’t know if those negotiations are even underway or not, and says nagging injuries to both hands are to blame.4) Daniel Geale (2-241-241)Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (SD12) vs. #15 Darren BarkerNext Fight: 2/19/2014- vs. Garth Wood (UNR)Geale will face gatekeeper Garth Wood- his former sparring partner- on February 19 in Sydney.5) Matthew Macklin (2-136-227)Last Fight: 12/7/2013- UD10 Lamar Russ (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownAfter a legitimate but very unspectacular win over only moderately proven prospect Lamar Russ, Macklin has joined the chorus of quality middleweights looking for a rematch with Sturm. He’s also pushing for a fight with Andy Lee. He’s also expressed interest in Quillin.6) Peter Quillin (2-67-88)Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO10 Gabriel Rosado (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSee Macklin’s notes, above.7) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (2-7-7)Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD10 Anthony Fitzgerald (UNR)Next Fight: 2/15/2014- vs. Unknown OpponentAfter Andy Lee turned down a proposed fight for March 1, N’Dam will be back on February 15 in Ireland against an opponent yet to be named.8) Sam Soliman (2-7-7)Last Fight: 12/11/2013- TKO9 Les Sherrington (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSoliman has been re-installed as the #1 contender to Sturm’s alphabet strap, and will likely get another shot soon.9) Sergio Mora (2-31-31)Last Fight: 11/16/2013- KO5 Milton Nunez (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownMora had hoped to fight Golovkin on February 1, but says he was never offered the fight.10) Marco Antonio Rubio (2-2-157)Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)Next Fight: 4/5/2014- vs. Domenico Spada (UNR)Rubio-Spada is now set for April 5 in Mexico. It’s for an interim title, if such trifles mean anything to you.11) Anthony Mundine (2-157)Last Fight: 11/27/2013- TKO7 #4 WW Shane Mosley (at JMW)Next Fight: 1/29/2014- vs. Gunnar Jackson (UNR) (at JMW?)After two halfway decent opponents in Carson Jones and Billy Lyell fell through, Mundine has stepped down in competition with late replacement Gunnar Jackson, a mere journeyman.12) Max Bursak (2-157)Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD8 Gari Abajian (UNR)Next Fight: 2/1/2013- vs. Jarrod Fletcher (UNR)Bursak has replaced Martin Murray against Aussie prospect Jarrod Fletcher on February 1. He’ll be in the rare position of a favored fighter in a fairly high-profile fight becoming a short-notice opponent.13) Bryan Vera (2-67)Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L* (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at LHW)Next Fight: 3/1/2014- vs. Julio Cesar Chavez (UNR) (at SMW)Vera-Chavez II now looks likely for March 1 in either Vegas or Texas, after a proposed February date was abandoned over concerns related to Olympic conflicts.14) Grzegorz Proksa (2-146)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownPlans for a February fight have apparently been scrapped, and Proksa would like to fight in April or May. Setting reports of hand problems to rest, he says there’s currently nothing wrong with him.15) Caleb Truax (2-19)Last Fight: 1/3/2014- Draw (UD10) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR) (at SMW)Next Fight: UnknownTruax’s status as a promising prospect has been derailed somewhat by the very tough Ossie Duran.16) Curtis Stevens (2-26)Last Fight: 1/24/2014- TKO1 Patrick Majewski (UNR) (at SMW)Next Fight: UnknownStevens obliterated an overwhelmed Patrick Majewski, but that can legitimately do nothing for Stevens other than return his confidence.17) Andrey Meryasev (2-12)Last Fight: 11/4/2013- UD10 Sergio Sanders (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownI’ve still yet to see Meryasev in action, but his win over Sanders at this point in his career proves that he’s a real prospect.18) Danny Jacobs (2-23)Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)Next Fight: Unknown19) Dmitry Chudinov (2-23)Last Fight: 12/21/2013- TKO6 Juan Camilo Novoa (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownA fight with Ricardo Mayorga had been discussed, but Mayorga is no longer interested.20) Nobuhiro Ishida (2-2)Last Fight: 8/4/2013- KO2 Elly Pangaribuan (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownThis sounds crazy, but the rather light-hitting middleweight is currently doing heavy weight training and has applied for clearance from the Japanese commission to compete as a heavyweight. That’s a 4-division, 40 to, let’s say, 100 pound jump in weight. If he’s approved, he will likely fight for the rather lightly-regarded Japanese Heavyweight title against Kyotaro Fujimoto. As for his ranking here, that means he’ll most likely just hang around the rankings until he becomes ineligible on or about August 4.

Saturday#1 Gennady Golovkin vs. Osumanu Adama; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Main Event (Australia)This may look like a walk in the park for the destructive and excellent Golovkin. It may very well turn out that way. That being said, it should be noted that Adama was ranked #13 before being removed for inactivity at 160 in September, and so it’s not like he’s a no-hope journeyman or anything like that. That being said (part 2), Adama barely squeaked by against fading gatekeeper Grady Brewer after failing to make weight two fights ago. He might be on the decline, himself, even at age 33.

#12Max Bursak vs. Jarrod Fletcher; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Main Event (Australia)Australian prospect Fletcher was originally slated to fight Martin Murray, who withdrew. Bursak was called in just a few weeks ahead of the fight date, and will therefore be in the rare position of a significantly favored fighter who took the fight on short notice. Fletcher’s only loss was in the fall of 2012 in a fight with undefeated Brit Billy Joe Saunders, in a fight that was stopped ridiculously prematurely by a bad referee in Saunders’ home country. On the other hand, he’s never beat anyone better than a upper-mid-level journeyman. Bursak is a bona fide fringe contender, having beaten Bryan Vera in 2010.

Undefeated Dane Patrick Nielsen got arguably the toughest test of his career on Saturday in Frederikshavn, Denmark, and passed it with flying colors, winning a wide unanimous decision. Despite being the highest-rated opponent of Nielsen’s career, it’s not quite enough to qualify him for a ranking, since Majewski had done nothing since being exposed by the mediocre Jose Miguel Torres in 2011, and was not quite in the top 50.

Last week’s #13 Osumanu Adama is removed, having not made 160 in 18 months. This allows everyone #14 and below last week to move up a spot, and gives Akio Shibata the opportunity to reclaim a ranking after he was bounced for a couple weeks by his loss to debuting Olympic Gold Medalist Ryoto Murata.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (178-178-178)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)Next Fight: UnknownMartinez should be back in March or April of 2014. Golovkin has been mentioned, but that would be a bit too much for his first fight back, I would think. He also said recently that he wants to defend in Argentina. I would too, if I’d gotten the gift he got last time around.1) Martin Murray (20-93-93)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)Next Fight: UnknownMurray is the mandatory challenger for the Golovkin-Stevens winner.2) Gennady Golovkin (11-54-117)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew MacklinNext Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #19 Curtis StevensApparently 2 gatekeeper-level knockouts, a gift decision over a journeyman, and a ton of undeserved hype will get you a shot at getting demolished by Golovkin. Curtis Stevens will get just that on November 2.3) Darren Barker (4-4-100)Last Fight: 8/17/2013- W (SD12) vs. #3 Daniel GealeNext Fight: UnknownGeale wants a rematch, and Martin Murray is knocking, as well. But more than likely, a mandatory against Sturm is the next move, probably in December.4) Felix Sturm (11-521-521)Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSee Barker’s notes, above.5) Daniel Geale (4-221-221)Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (SD12) vs. #15 Darren BarkerNext Fight: UnknownGeale wants a rematch, but will probably have to wait until at least 2014, since it appears likely Barker will make a mandatory defense in December against Sturm, instead. Geale wants to be back in December in any event.6) Matthew Macklin (4-116-207)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- L (KO3) vs. #4 Gennady GolovkinNext Fight: UnknownMacklin has now suffered his 2nd knockout loss at the top level, but still has plenty of cred against anyone not in the top 5.7) Peter Quillin (20-47-68)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO7 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Unknown OpponentGolden Boy expects to put Quillin on the Hopkins-Murat undercard in late October. Sergio Mora is apparently dying to be the opponent.8) Dmitry Pirog (20-163-163)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro IshidaNext Fight: UnknownPirog says his back injuries have fully healed, and will be meeting with his people in the US soon to determine his next fight. I’ll probably give him until the end of September to calendar that fight before removing him.9) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (11-27-150)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter QuillinNext Fight: Unknown10) Sergio Mora (11-11-11)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz ProksaNext Fight: UnknownSee Quillin’s notes, above.11) Marco Antonio Rubio (26-137)Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownRubio is theoretically set up for a alphabet title fight with Chavez, but Chavez has to beat Vera and decide to continue campaigning at 160, which seems increasingly unlikely.12) Anthony Mundine (26-137)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: 10/23/2013- vs. #3 WW Shane Mosley (at JMW)Mosley-Mundine is October 23 in Australia.13) Max Bursak (1-137)Last Fight: 7/13/2013- UD12 Prince Arron (UNR)Next Fight: 9/21/2013- vs. Nick Blackwell (UNR)Bursak fights 2-loss English prospect Nick Blackwell on the 21st in the Ukraine.14) Bryan Vera (1-47)Last Fight: 3/29/2013- TKO7* Donatas Bondorovas (UNR)Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at SMW)Vera’s fight with Chavez has been delayed again, this time to 9/28.15) Grzegorz Proksa (1-126)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa is an enigma. He looked like the next big thing against Sylvester, but did practically nothing against Mora. 16) Curtis Stevens (1-6)Last Fight: 8/3/2013- KO1 Saul Roman (UNR)Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #2 Gennady GolovkinStevens needed a gift to beat journeyman Derrick Findley, and has never beat anything better than a gatekeeper at this weight. My opinion is that his fight with Golovkin will be akin to an execution.17) Billi Godoy (1-4)Last Fight: 7/19/2013- UD12 Mateo Veron (UNR)Next Fight: Unknown18) Danny Jacobs (1-3)Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)Next Fight: Unknown19) Dmitry Chudinov (1-3)Last Fight: 8/24/2013- KO2 Jorge Navarro (UNR)Next Fight: Unknown20) Akio Shibata (1-1)Last Fight: 8/25/2013- L (TKO2) vs. Ryoto Murata (UNR) (at 161)Next Fight: Unknown

The Week Ahead: Gatekeeper Derrick Findley and undefeated prospect Mike Jimenez will face off in Hammond, Indiana on Friday, but it’s not entirely clear if it will be at 160 or 168. I’ll mention it exclusively in whatever division it occurs in next week.

Cicero, Illinois evidently isn’t an Amish Paradise, as #13 Osumanu Adama handled and stopped Puerto Rican journeyman Doel “Amish Guy” Carasquillo there on Friday, when Carasquillo failed to answer the bell for round 7. Speaking of failure, Adama once again failed to make 160, coming in a pound over. The win gets Adama somewhat back on the right track after his nearly disastrous performance in March against Grady Brewer. Still, his ranking is very much at risk, as he’ll need to schedule a middleweight fight before September 7, or will be subject to removal the following week.

The next night in Chihuahua, Mexico, #11 Marco Antonio Rubio took care of business, knocking out Colombian journeyman Dionisio Miranda in just 2 rounds. Anyone else think Rubio ought to change his nickname to “The Senator?”

On the Rubio undercard, one-loss Mexican prospect Marcos Reyes avenged his only career loss- a 2010 decision- by comfortably outpointing journeyman Amilcar Funes in their second 10-round contest.

With all the clear favorites prevailing over journeymen, there are no changes this week.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (172-172-172)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)Next Fight: UnknownMartinez is now making noise to the effect that he intends to fight Gennady Golovkin in 2014, but more recently stated that he wants the Mayweather-Canelo winner.1) Martin Murray (14-87-87)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)Next Fight: UnknownMurray looks like a good bet to fight Golovkin on November 2, in what would be the best matchup at 160 of 2013.2) Gennady Golovkin (5-48-111)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew MacklinNext Fight: UnknownSee Murray’s notes above.3) Daniel Geale (5-215-215)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony MundineNext Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #15 Darren BarkerGeale will get back to action on August 17, making his US debut in just his 3rd fight outside Australia when he takes on Darren Barker at the Turning Stone in New York state.4) Felix Sturm (5-515-515)Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSturm wants to fight Geale by the end of the year if the Australian gets by Barker.5) Matthew Macklin (14-110-201)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- L (KO3) vs. #4 Gennady GolovkinNext Fight: UnknownMacklin has now suffered his 2nd knockout loss at the top level, but still has plenty of cred against anyone not in the top 5.6) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (14-113-131)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio MartinezNext Fight: 9/7/2013- vs. #18 Bryan Vera (at SMW)Bob Arum confirms Chavez-Vera, but on a new date of September 7, at Staples Center. Apparently it will be at a contract weight “a few pounds” over the middleweight limit. This is potentially problematic for Chavez’s continued ranking here- especially since he has stated interest in fighting Sakio Bika next at 168.7) Peter Quillin (14-41-62)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO7 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownGolden Boy intends to put Quillin on an October card in Brooklyn. There are signs that his opponent might be Danny Jacobs. If so, that’s a ridiculous match-up. Jacobs has fought only ham-and-eggers since being knocked out by Pirog in 2010 and winning a fight with cancer. A fight with Golovkin has been discussed, but that is complicated by the opposing network loyalties of the two fighters.8) Dmitry Pirog (14-157-157)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro IshidaNext Fight: UnknownA recent interview with Pirog seemed to reveal underlying doubts as to his ability to return in August as planned and/or hoped for, but he says that return is still possible. He says he won’t know until he puts a “heavy load” (ie fight camp) on his back if it will respond adequately or not. If we don’t have positive news, at least, by the end of August, I’ll remove him, as it’s really been too long to keep hoping for a return.9) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (5-22-144)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter QuillinNext Fight: Unknown10) Sergio Mora (5-5-5)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz ProksaNext Fight: UnknownMora is hoping for a shot at Golovkin off the Proksa win, and has signed with a solid promoter in Lou DiBella.11) Marco Antonio Rubio (20-131)Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownRubio is theoretically set up for a alphabet title fight with Chavez, but Chavez has to beat Vera and decide to continue campaigning at 160, which seems increasingly unlikely.12) Anthony Mundine (20-131)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: UnknownThere is serious discussion of a fight with Shane Mosley in Australia, likely in October.13) Osumanu Adama (20-123)Last Fight: 7/26/2013- RTD7 Doel Carasquillo (UNR) (as SMW)Next Fight: UnknownAdama has until September 7 to schedule a middleweight fight to avoid removal, having missed 160 in his last two fights.14) Akio Shibata (13-13)Last Fight: W (TD9) vs. #18 Makoto FuchigamiNext Fight: 8/25/2013- vs. Ryota Murata (UNR)This is a bit stunning. After proving himself the best Asian middleweight against Fuchigami, Shibata will follow up with a high-risk, no reward fight against Ryota Murata, a fighter making his pro debut, but an Olympic Gold Medalist, as well.15) Darren Barker (13-94)Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)Next Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #3 Daniel GealeBarker will get his second big opportunity to rise to the top, as he takes on #2 Daniel Geale in New York state August 17.16) Max Bursak (13-131)Last Fight: 7/13/2013- UD12 Prince Arron (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBursak may be back in September, and his EBU-mandated opponent will likely be Domenico Spada.17) Demetrius Andrade (13-102)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)Next Fight: 9/7/2013- vs. #14 JMW Vanes Martirosyan (at JMW)The last time Andrade fought an opponent over 154 was just 2 weeks less than a year before his upcoming alphabet title fight with Vanes. Very unlikely he’ll still be ranked at this weight by the end of September.18) Bryan Vera (13-41)Last Fight: 3/29/2013- TKO7* Donatas Bondorovas (UNR)Next Fight: 9/7/2013- vs. #6 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at SMW)Vera’s fight with Chavez has been delayed to September 7.19) Grzegorz Proksa (5-120)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa is an enigma. He looked like the next big thing against Sylvester, but did practically nothing against Mora. 20) Billi Godoy (2-2)Last Fight: 7/19/2013- UD12 Mateo Veron (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSo Veron is a naturally smaller domestic trial horse. But Godoy has piled up wins of that kind, and the Argentine scene isn’t half bad overall. His volume of wins like this are enough in my view to offset his debatable loss to Sanders.

The Week Ahead: Saturday’s action begins in Tokyo, where the Japanese title is on the line between Tomohiro Ebisu- the chinny fringe prospect who shocked the 2012 Middleweight Prospect of the Year back in February- and former Japanese 154 champion Daisuke Nakagawa. Of course the real king of Japanese middleweights is Akio Shibata, who has a win already over Nakagawa. The winner would have a real good argument to fight Shibata, though.

Later that night in Uncasville, Connecticut, gatekeeper Curtis Stevens- coming off a totally undeserved win against journeyman Derrick Findley- will once again be showcased on NBC Sports Network, against Mexican veteran Saul Roman. We’ll see if his awful performance against Findley was an aberration or not, as Roman is a solid measuring stick at this level.

The following day in Osaka, recently-ranked fringe contender Nobuhiro Ishida will look to hit the reset button after a recent stretch of losses that culminated in a brutal knockout against Gennady Golovkin. He will face the extremely non-threatening Elly Pangaribuan.

One-loss Argentine prospect (who would be undefeated if my scores carried the day) Billi Godoy won a pretty average 12-round decision over gatekeeper and countryman Mateo Veron in Neuquen, Argentina on Friday by margins of 4, 4, and 6 points. Last week I billed Veron as a journeyman, which is normally my shorthand for a non-top-50 fighter. I was in error, as Veron had revenged his earlier loss to Jorge Heiland last month in a fight that apparently didn’t make it to boxrec in time to catch my eye, and in doing so earned top 50 status once again. As such, Godoy’s victory over him gained a level of significance that I hadn’t anticipated. More on that below.

In last week’s preview, I billed recently-ranked Dmitry Chudinov’s fight with Patrick Mendy as a walkover for the Russian, and called the battle of undefeated prospects between Englishman Billy Joe Saunders and Irishman Gary O’Sullivan as a competitive battle. It seems I was mistaken yet again.

Saunders pretty much dominated O’Sullivan, losing a total of one round among the three cards. Meanwhile, on the same card, Chudinov struggled mightily with the lowly Patrick Mendy, a mid-level Gambian journeyman. With no title at stake, the referee doubled as sole judge as happens in the UK, and he had it dead even at 76-76. I can’t really criticize that. I had Chudinov winning 77-75, but it could reasonably have gone anywhere between 79-73 Chudinov and 77-75 Mendy. A draw is a pretty fair result, and a very unexpected one. Mendy fought like a pure boxer for the most part, trying to potshot off the back foot. He threw mostly arm punches, but outworked Chudinov enough to give himself an argument anyhow. Chudinov came forward and mostly kept Mendy with his back more or less to the ropes, but didn’t cut the distance quickly enough to impose his will consistently or land squarely with any regularity. He made a strategic error by headhunting way too often, and noticeably faded in the last couple rounds- perhaps as a consequence of so many whiffs.

Godoy’s win pays off for him, as he regains a ranking at #20 for the first time since October. With that, Nobuhiro Ishida’s 72-week stint as a top-20 middleweight comes to an end. Chudinov’s draw might end up as a blip on the radar, but for now it moves him back just a couple places further from a ranking that he held just a few weeks ago.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (171-171-171)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)Next Fight: UnknownMartinez is now making noise to the effect that he intends to fight Gennady Golovkin in 2014, but more recently stated that he wants the Mayweather-Canelo winner.1) Martin Murray (13-86-86)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)Next Fight: UnknownMurray looks like a good bet to fight Golovkin on November 2, in what would be the best matchup at 160 of 2013.2) Gennady Golovkin (4-47-110)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew MacklinNext Fight: UnknownSee Murray’s notes above.3) Daniel Geale (4-214-214)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony MundineNext Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #15 Darren BarkerGeale will get back to action on August 17, making his US debut in just his 3rd fight outside Australia when he takes on Darren Barker at the Turning Stone in New York state.4) Felix Sturm (4-514-514)Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSturm wants to fight Geale by the end of the year if the Australian gets by Barker.5) Matthew Macklin (13-109-200)Last Fight: 6/29/2013- L (KO3) vs. #4 Gennady GolovkinNext Fight: UnknownMacklin has now suffered his 2nd knockout loss at the top level, but still has plenty of cred against anyone not in the top 5.6) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (13-112-130)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio MartinezNext Fight: 9/7/2013- vs. #18 Bryan Vera (at SMW)Bob Arum confirms Chavez-Vera, but on a new date of September 7, at Staples Center. Apparently it will be at a contract weight “a few pounds” over the middleweight limit. This is potentially problematic for Chavez’s continued ranking here.7) Peter Quillin (13-40-61)Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO7 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownGolden Boy intends to put Quillin on an October card in Brooklyn. There are signs that his opponent might be Danny Jacobs. If so, that’s a ridiculous match-up. Jacobs has fought only ham-and-eggers since being knocked out by Pirog in 2010 and winning a fight with cancer. A fight with Golovkin has been discussed, but that is complicated by the opposing network loyalties of the two fighters.8) Dmitry Pirog (13-156-156)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro IshidaNext Fight: UnknownA recent interview with Pirog seemed to reveal underlying doubts as to his ability to return in August as planned and/or hoped for, but he says that return is still possible. He says he won’t know until he puts a “heavy load” (ie fight camp) on his back if it will respond adequately or not. If we don’t have positive news, at least, by the end of August, I’ll remove him, as it’s really been too long to keep hoping for a return.9) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (4-21-143)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter QuillinNext Fight: Unknown10) Sergio Mora (4-4-4)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz ProksaNext Fight: UnknownMora is hoping for a shot at Golovkin off the Proksa win.11) Marco Antonio Rubio (19-130)Last Fight: 3/23/2013- UD12 Marcus Upshaw (UNR)Next Fight: 7/27/2013- vs. Dionisio Miranda (UNR)Rubio will stay busy against Colombian journeyman Dionisio Miranda on July 27.12) Anthony Mundine (19-130)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: UnknownThere is serious discussion of a fight with Shane Mosley in Australia, likely in October.13) Osumanu Adama (19-122)Last Fight: 3/16/2012- W(SD10) vs. Grady Brewer (UNR)Next Fight: 7/26/2013- vs. Doel Carasquillo (UNR)Adama is back in action 7/26 against Puerto Rican journeyman and late replacement Doel Carasquillo.14) Akio Shibata (12-12)Last Fight: W (TD9) vs. #18 Makoto FuchigamiNext Fight: 8/25/2013- vs. Ryota Murata (UNR)This is a bit stunning. After proving himself the best Asian middleweight against Fuchigami, Shibata will follow up with a high-risk, no reward fight against Ryota Murata, a fighter making his pro debut, but an Olympic Gold Medalist, as well.15) Darren Barker (12-93)Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)Next Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #3 Daniel GealeBarker will get his second big opportunity to rise to the top, as he takes on #2 Daniel Geale in New York state August 17.16) Max Bursak (12-130)Last Fight: 7/13/2013- UD12 Prince Arron (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBursak may be back in September, and his EBU-mandated opponent will likely be Domenico Spada.17) Demetrius Andrade (12-101)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)Next Fight: UnknownGatekeeper and (technically) titlist Zaurbek Baysangurov hurt his back and had to withdraw from the “title defense” against Andrade. It looks like Andrade might fight for the vacant or interim version against Vanes Martirosyan, all of this being at 154, and likely on the Pacquiao-Rios undercard.18) Bryan Vera (12-40)Last Fight: 3/29/2013- TKO7* Donatas Bondorovas (UNR)Next Fight: 9/7/2013- vs. #6 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.Vera’s fight with Chavez has been delayed to September 7.19) Grzegorz Proksa (4-119)Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa is an enigma. He looked like the next big thing against Sylvester, but did practically nothing against Mora. 20) Billi Godoy (1-1)Last Fight: 7/19/2013- UD12 Mateo Veron (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownSo Veron is a naturally smaller domestic trial horse. But Godoy has piled up wins of that kind, and the Argentine scene isn’t half bad overall. His volume of wins like this are enough in my view to offset his debatable loss to Sanders.

On the undercard, Mexican prospect Marcos Reyes looks to avenge the only loss of his career, from 2010, against otherwise unremarkable Argentine journeyman Amilcar Funes. Funes has incidentally trimmed down since that fight and enters as the naturally smaller man, having contested his last bout at welterweight.

The Minneapolis fight between Derrick Findley and Phil Williams is between two guys who are probably reasonably capable of making 160, so there’s a small possibility- in the absence of specific information on the contract weight- that they might decide to make it a middleweight contest, and I will mention it here if it becomes relevant.

Strange goings on in Lowell, Massachussetts on Saturday, as #11 Osumanu Adama turned in an underwhelming performance against gatekeeper Grady Brewer, who had seemed to be declining at 42. Adama escaped with a split decision, but only by one round on one card. In addition, he failed to make weight by a half-pound, and then apparently chose not to sweat off that half-pound, despite several regional titles being on the line.

The performance is obviously not worthy of a #11 contender. Adama had not competed in slightly over a year leading up to the fight, and so his failure to make wait presents and issue as to whether he is to be removed. Normally if a fighter fights within 2 pounds of the divisional limit within the year, he gets up to an additional 6 months to make weight. This is the first time I’ve encountered a fighter doing so after a year but before being removed. I think the spirit of the rule I’ve operated under to this point requires that he be given the extra time, and so he shall.

The previous night in Townsville, Australia, gatekeeper-level Australian Les Sherrington won a 5-round technical decision shutout over low-level Argentine journeyman Esteban Ponce after he found himself unable to continue with a cut suffered in a head clash during the opening round.

Now to Adama’s rank. As I mentioned above, he is not to be removed at this time, buying himself another 5 months or so. However, seeing as how he’s been inactive and performed poorly in this latest effort, a fresh review of his record is in order. It’s a close call (made easier by this fight), but he falls two spots below Rubio and Mundine, settling at #13.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (153-153-153)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #9 Martin MurrayMartinez will look to come back strong from knee surgery when he takes on Martin Murray in Argentina on April 27.1) Daniel Geale (91-196-196)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony MundineNext Fight: UnknownWith Soliman testing positive for a PED, his expected fight with Geale is probably out. Perhaps a Sturm rematch is the most obvious follow-up.2) Felix Sturm (3-496-496)Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman (on PEDs)Next Fight: UnknownSturm says on Twitter that he’s resumed light training, and will soon announce his plans for his next fight, which he describes as a big event.3) Gennady Golovkin (3-29-92)Last Fight: 1/19/2013- TKO7 JMW #? Gabriel RosadoNext Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #19 Nobuhiro IshidaGolovkin will headline the Super 4 Light Heavyweight Tourney card in Monaco, fighting Nobuhiro Ishida, who is starting to lose all traces of the luster he gained by beating James Kirkland.4) Matthew Macklin (3-91-182)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownMacklin reports that Andy Lee has turned down the opportunity to fight him in May on HBO. If true, this is a bit embarrassing for Lee, who had previously called Macklin out. Macklin has acknowledged the possibility of a huge fight with Golovkin in November or December.5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (3-94-112)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio MartinezNext Fight: 6/22/2013- vs. Unknown OpponentChavez is looking to return on June 22, with Bryan Vera, Matthew Macklin, and Giovanni Lorenzo being considered.6) Peter Quillin (3-22-43)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’JikamNext Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR)Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia.7) Dmitry Pirog (3-138-138)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro IshidaNext Fight: UnknownIt sounds like Pirog has more than a run of the mill back injury. His promoter calls his situation “spine trauma” he’s been nursing since the Maciel fight, and says that it “doesn’t look particularly good.” It looks like a foregone conclusion that Pirog will be inactive for well over a year. My mission between now and his May 1 anniversary will be to determine whether there’s a significant chance of a return in the foreseeable future. There’s a fine line between giving an injured fighter time to recover and holding a spot for a guy that may not fight again for years, if ever.8) Grzegorz Proksa (3-101-101)Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa’s worthless fight with Szekeres came at a steep price, as he hurt his hand badly enough to scuttle a proposed 3/23 appearance on Friday Night Fights.9) Martin Murray (3-68-68)Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR)Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio MartinezMurray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27.10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (3-3-125)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter QuillinNext Fight: UnknownN’Dam was recently seen sparring at Mayweather’s gym with some of his top prospects. This has fueled speculation of his possibly signing with Mayweather Promotions, himself.11) Marco Antonio Rubio (1-112)Last Fight: 12/22/2012- KO11 Michel Rosales (UNR)Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Marcus Upshaw (UNR)Rubio is now part of Robert Garcia’s impressive stable of fighters, and has potential future rematch with Chavez and a likely mandatory against the Quillin-Guerrero winner. For now, he’s fighting upset specialist Marcus Upshaw in late March.12) Anthony Mundine (1-112)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: UnknownMundine expects to fight again in June, but doesn’t know against whom or in what division yet. He hopes to know by around the start of April, though.13) Osumanu Adama (1-104)Last Fight: 3/16/2012- W(SD10) vs. Grady Brewer (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownAdama came in heavy and nearly lost to 42 year-old Grady Brewer. The fact that he missed weight by only a half pound gives him the opportunity to schedule a middleweight fight by September 7 to maintain a ranking, though.14) Darren Barker (2-75)Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBarker appears to be back from an injury-plagued spell. 15) Max Bursak (2-112)Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte.16) Demetrius Andrade (2-83)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)Next Fight: UnknownAndrade has impliedly called out Keith Thurman, Erislandy Lara, and explicitly challenged Ishe Smith.17) Bryan Vera (3-22)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- TKO10 Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR)Next Fight: 3/29/2013- vs. Donatus Bondorovas (UNR)Vera stays busy on March 29, when he fights Lithuanian journeyman Donatus Bondorovas in New York on a Friday Night Fights card. He is also being considered for a June 15 fight with JCC, Jr.18) Curtis Stevens (3-9)Last Fight: 1/19/2013- KO1 Elvin Ayala (UNR)Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Derrick Findley (UNR)Stevens will fight on the Fury-Cunningham undercard at MSG on 4/20 against veteran journeyman Derrick Findley.19) Nobuhiro Ishida (3-55)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry PirogNext Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #3 Gennady GolovkinIshida is probably about to spend his last remaining bit of currency from the Kirkland win. He would need an even more shocking upset to survive- much less beat- the rampaging Gennady Golovkin.20) Makoto Fuchigami (3-3)Last Fight: 10/12/2012- RTD6 Marlon Alta (UNR)Next Fight: 4/30/2013- vs. Akio Shibata (UNR)Fuchigami has a good domestic-level opportunity on his hands, fighting essentially a peer in junior middleweight fringe contender Akio Shibata.

Saturday in London, #16 Darren Barker dropped Italian Champion and borderline top 50 fighter Simone Rotolo in the first round, before ultimately Rotolo retired with an injured hand after the 4th.

That same night, Dominican gatekeeper Giovanni Lorenzo scored a side show of a 1st-round knockout over Miami’s Johnny Valentin. Valentin is no less than 51 years old. He last fought in 2004 and last won in 1998. In all, he has just 3 wins (the first in 1986) in 31 fights. To recap, he’s a 51 year old on a 15-fight winless streak dating back 15 years. And somebody sanctioned this fight. Kudos, Domican boxing authorities. In fairness to Lorenzo- who I still believe should never have consented to this execution- Valentin was a late replacement for Jairo Siris who, while awful, is awful on a much more reasonable level.

Finally, former top 10 junior middleweight Prince Arron barely squeaked by with a 6-round referee’s points decision in Manchester over low-level journeyman Tyan Booth. Even in victory, this hurts Arron’s standing to the point that he’s probably no longer even a top 50 guy in this or any other division.

If only for having returned from a long spell of inactivity against top 50 opponents, Barker is able to advance to #14, thereby displacing Barker and Andrade.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)Champ: Sergio Martinez (152-152-152)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #10 Martin MurrayMartinez will look to come back strong from knee surgery when he takes on Martin Murray in Argentina on April 27.1) Daniel Geale (90-195-195)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony MundineNext Fight: UnknownWith Soliman testing positive for a PED, his expected fight with Geale is probably out. Perhaps a Sturm rematch is the most obvious follow-up.2) Felix Sturm (2-495-495)Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman (on PEDs)Next Fight: UnknownSturm says on Twitter that he’s resuming light training this week, and will soon announce his plans for his next fight, which he describes as a big event.3) Gennady Golovkin (2-28-91)Last Fight: 1/19/2013- TKO7 JMW #? Gabriel RosadoNext Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #20 Nobuhiro IshidaGolovkin will headline the Super 4 Light Heavyweight Tourney card in Monaco, fighting Nobuhiro Ishida, who is starting to lose all traces of the luster he gained by beating James Kirkland.4) Matthew Macklin (2-90-181)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownMacklin reports that Andy Lee has turned down the opportunity to fight him in May on HBO. If true, this is a bit embarrassing for Lee, who had previously called Macklin out.5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (2-93-111)Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio MartinezNext Fight: UnknownChavez finally got the details of his punishment from the Nevada comission. He is suspended until June 15 and was fined 900k, or 30% of his purse from the Martinez fight. He plans to come back on the first available day- June 15 itself, and has floated Bryan Vera and Matthew Macklin as possible opponents. Macklin in particular would be a spectacular matchup and would likely justify the November rematch with Sergio that he’s shooting for if he pulls off the win.6) Peter Quillin (2-21-42)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’JikamNext Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR)Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia.7) Dmitry Pirog (2-137-137)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro IshidaNext Fight: UnknownIt sounds like Pirog has more than a run of the mill back injury. His promoter calls his situation “spine trauma” he’s been nursing since the Maciel fight, and says that it “doesn’t look particularly good.” It looks like a foregone conclusion that Pirog will be inactive for well over a year. My mission between now and his May 1 anniversary will be to determine whether there’s a significant chance of a return in the foreseeable future. There’s a fine line between giving an injured fighter time to recover and holding a spot for a guy that may not fight again for years, if ever.8) Grzegorz Proksa (2-100-100)Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownProksa’s worthless fight with Szekeres came at a steep price, as he hurt his hand badly enough to scuttle a proposed 3/23 appearance on Friday Night Fights.9) Martin Murray (2-67-67)Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR)Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio MartinezMurray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27.10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (2-2-124)Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter QuillinNext Fight: UnknownN’Dam was recently seen sparring at Mayweather’s gym with some of his top prospects. This has fueled speculation of his possibly signing with Mayweather Promotions, himself.11) Osumanu Adama (2-103)Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. Grady Brewer (UNR)Adama’s return has been bumped up to March 16, when he’ll fight declining gatekeeper Grady Brewer in Lowell, Massachusetts.12) Marco Antonio Rubio (2-111)Last Fight: 12/22/2012- KO11 Michel Rosales (UNR)Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Marcus Upshaw (UNR)Rubio is now part of Robert Garcia’s impressive stable of fighters, and has potential future rematch with Chavez and a likely mandatory against the Quillin-Guerrero winner. For now, he’s fighting upset specialist Marcus Upshaw in late March.13) Anthony Mundine (2-111)Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel GealeNext Fight: UnknownMundine expects to fight again in June, but doesn’t know against whom or in what division yet. He hopes to know by around the start of April, though.14) Darren Barker (1-74)Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBarker appears to be back from an injury-plagued spell. 15) Max Bursak (1-111)Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)Next Fight: UnknownBursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte.16) Demetrius Andrade (1-82)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)Next Fight: UnknownOn his recent ShoBox appearance, a big deal was made of Andrade’s speculated move up to 160 in the future. But as his ranking would suggest, he’s already had at least one foot firmly planted in this division for quite some time.17) Bryan Vera (2-21)Last Fight: 1/25/2013- TKO10 Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR)Next Fight: 3/29/2013- vs. Donatus Bondorovas (UNR)Vera stays busy on March 29, when he fights Lithuanian journeyman Donatus Bondorovas in New York on a Friday Night Fights card. He is also being considered for a June 15 fight with JCC, Jr.18) Curtis Stevens (2-8)Last Fight: 1/19/2013- KO1 Elvin Ayala (UNR)Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Derrick Findley (UNR)Stevens will fight on the Fury-Cunningham undercard at MSG on 4/20 against veteran journeyman Derrick Findley.19) Nobuhiro Ishida (2-54)Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry PirogNext Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #3 Gennady GolovkinIshida is probably about to spend his last remaining bit of currency from the Kirkland win. He would need an even more shocking upset to survive- much less beat- the rampaging Gennady Golovkin.20) Makoto Fuchigami (2-2)Last Fight: 10/12/2012- RTD6 Marlon Alta (UNR)Next Fight: 4/30/2013- vs. Akio Shibata (UNR)Fuchigami has a good domestic-level opportunity on his hands, fighting essentially a peer in junior middleweight fringe contender Akio Shibata.